McGrath tells Johnson: You will regret toeing Liverpool line in Suarez race row

Paul McGrath has responded after Glen Johnson accused him of racism, describing the Liverpool full back's criticism as 'sad'.

In an exclusive interview with Sportsmail, Johnson hit out at the former Manchester United defender for singling him out after Kenny Dalglish’s players wore T-shirts in support of Luis Suarez following his charge for racially abusing Patrice Evra.

Hitting back: Paul McGrath has said criticism of him by Glen Johnson is 'sad'

‘It’s sad someone is having a pop at me,’ said McGrath, 52, who claimed that if he was Johnson he would have thrown the T-shirt on the dressing room floor.

‘I thought supporting a player — Evra — with the same colour skin might not be such a bad idea for Johnson. When he is 52 and not as popular as he is now, he might think differently.’

Johnson’s broadside also heaped heavy criticism on Evra’s conduct at Old Trafford when the Frenchman and Suarez failed to shake hands following their own race row.

Toe the line: Glen Johnson backed his club's stance in the race row with Patrice Evra

The England defender claimed Evra had been ‘clever’ in failing to extend his arm towards Suarez fully as the Liverpool striker walked down the line of United players before the game.

Johnson insisted Evra then made ‘a big deal of it’ when Suarez walked past, the whole episode being something ‘he was probably up all night thinking about’. But McGrath labelled that attack another mistake.

‘Liverpool got hammered in round one and, if Glen is starting round two, I think it’s a mistake,’ he said. ‘With Liverpool just winning a trophy, I’d imagine Kenny Daglish would prefer to put all this to bed.’

The row started last October when Evra accused Suarez of racially abusing him at Anfield, with the FA later fining and banning the Uruguay forward.

Liverpool and Suarez’s team-mates stood firmly behind him until they were forced into an apology for his failure to shake Evra’s hand. But Dalglish is determined to keep the player at the club despite interest from super-rich Paris Saint-Germain.

‘Nobody has spoken to us but it wouldn’t make any difference,’ said Dalglish. ‘If they called and reversed the charges, it would not get taken.’

Johnson has had a hamstring injury but should return to action at Sunderland on Saturday.